Toys are important. Scratch that, GREAT toys are important.
There is a lot going on in little brains when children play. We all know it starts when they’re freshly arrived. Mobiles, rattles, squeaky toys … they help develop spongy young brains. But the benefits of play don’t end when kids get a little bit older. Many of us are tempted to enter the world of electronic gadgetry when kids hit 8 or 9 or 10, but the truth is they still love to play with traditional toys, and the benefits of play are just as important at this age as when they were very young.
Fishbowl patron Tag Along Toys is hosting this very sweet giveaway for Ottawa-area residents. Yay Tag Along! I first wrote about them here. To summarize: they know about kids, great toys, and about PLAY.
Did you know (1) Tag Along has a Facebook page. You will definitely want to check it out for special deals and other insider info. (2) Grandparents day is the last Thursday of every month, and this means that grandma and grandpa get 20% off all in-stock toys. (And the next one is September 30!)
Anyway, on to the giveaway!
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Can we give three cheers for healthy desserts and snacks? I made these yesterday, and it’s a keeper. It reminds me a bit of our banana bread recipe – it capitalizes on natural sugars found in fruit instead of refined sugars (although the banana bread does contain a bit of sugar).
Please note, I’m using the term “muffin” rather loosely here, so if you’re looking for something really sweet, this isn’t the recipe for you. There’s no sugar, so the overall effect is more “apple bread” than “apple muffins” so consider yourself warned. I will say that everyone who’s tried these really likes them (including children – WOOT!), so it’s a big winner in my books. I bet they’d be great for people on low-fat/diabetic/sugar-restricted diets. They’re nut-free too, and you can make them as organic as you like. Yay!
Sugar-free apple raisin muffins
1 large egg
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. raisins
Mix the egg, oil and applesauce. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon and beat well. Stir in the raisins. Spoon the batter (it’ll be fairly thick) into greased muffin tins. (I tried paper sleeves but they stuck – greasing is the way to go here.) Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool on wire racks. DIG IN. They taste great hot out of the oven with a schmear of butter. Oh oh oh.
The first week of school is almost over! Where did it go? (I KNOW! I’ve been running around like one of those proverbial chickens.)
This is what our first day looked like, way back on Tuesday September 7:
Bullety observations:
- We need to get up earlier
- I like being busy but it’s making my eye twitch
- I’m switching evening jogs for mid-morning ones
- I like my routines
- … and so do the girls
- BEHOLD. THE FLURRY OF FORMS HAS BEGUN YET AGAIN. Sign this! Sign that! I need eight dollars! Egads. I need a system.
How are you?
